Chapman fuels comeback victory
Rookie’s two-run single in 8th overcomes 6-5 deficit, power display by Judge
OAKLAND — A’s rookie Matt Chapman was denied his first big-league hit in the second inning on what would have been a chopping infield single after the umpires determined he was out at first after a challenge from Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
Instead, Chapman’s first major league hit came in more memorable fashion.
With the A’s trailing 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth, Ryon Healy crushed a ground-rule double to set up runners on second and third with only one out. The Yankees decided to walk Stephen Vogt in order to load the bases for the rookie, and this time, there was no doubt about it.
Chapman pulled a single down the left-field line that brought home both Healy and Yonder Alonso and proved to be the game-winner in a 7-6 victory over the Yankees on Friday night.
Chapman finished the night with three RBIs, as his earlier near-hit also brought home a run. His go-ahead single came off Jonathan Holder in an 0-2 count.
“At the very least I was just trying to get the runner from third in to tie the game,” Chapman said. “Being a rookie I kind of just assumed that they were going to pitch to me. I was just ready to get the job done.”
Chapman entered the season as the club’s top prospect, and manager Bob Melvin has been impressed with the third
baseman’s all-around game. Chapman also made a terrific diving stop to take away a hit from Ronald Torreyes in the sixth inning.
“He’s here for a reason,” Melvin said. “He’s not afraid of those situations. Hadn’t seen that pitcher before or that pitch. A lot of courage in that at-bat. For a first big-league hit, that was pretty impactful.”
Chapman said the scene while standing on first base after getting the hit was like a blur to him.
“Everything seems to happen pretty fast for your first time,” Chapman said. “It was exciting looking in the dugout and seeing my teammates fired up. It was a pretty cool experience and I was just trying to stay in the game and not let it all hit me at once.”
The starting pitching matchup figured to be a duel with Sean Manaea, winner of his last five starts heading into the night, going up against New York ace Luis Severino. But the A’s jumped on Severino early.
After Khris Davis and Yonder Alonso drew walks to lead off the second, Stephen Vogt smashed a double off the wall in rightcenter that drove in Davis and gave Oakland an early 1-0 lead. Three consecutive singles would make it 4-0, with Severino hanging on the ropes of a potential early exit as the bullpen began to get loose in a hurry, but he was able to retire Jed Lowrie on a ground ball and settle down for the rest of his outing.
Manaea was unable to hold on to the early fourrun cushion as he tied his season-high with five earned runs over six innings pitched.
Despite the shaky outing, Melvin was pleased with the way Manaea managed to keep his club within striking distance.
“He battled,” Melvin said. “Maybe not his best fastball command today, but he used his other pitches and did enough to keep us in the game.”
Responsible for most of the damage was New York’s rookie sensation Aaron Judge, who clubbed his major league-leading 23rd home run of the season, a three-run homer in the third inning to cut the A’s lead to 4-3.
Judge, a Linden, California, native, felt right at home as the horde of Yankees fans among an announced crowd of 30,184 took over the Coliseum and turned it into Yankee Stadium West. The large contingent broke out “MVP” chants for Judge as he was announced for his at-bat just before hitting the home run, and again after smashing a booming triple off the center-field wall in the seventh. He finished the night going 2 for 3 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.
“I threw a change-up and kind of floated it in there. Didn’t really finish it,” Manaea said of the pitch on the home run. “He definitely got me. Nothing I could do about it.”
Former Athletic Chris Carter also crushed a solo shot in the sixth off Manaea. Carter’s 14th career home run against the A’s put the Yankees ahead 5-4.
After the Yankees added another run, a seventh-inning rally kicked off by a Rajai Davis walk that eventually saw him score brought Oakland within a run at 6-5.
After Chapman’s heroics in the eighth, Santiago Casilla shut the door in the ninth for his 11th save of the season. His save against the Yankees now gives him a save against all but four major league teams for his career.
Andrew Triggs will receive n a cortisone shot next week in hopes of a quick return from his left hip strain suffered in last week’s loss at Tampa Bay. Melvin was unsure when asked for a timetable on Triggs’ potential return. “It’s gonna be a while,” Melvin said.
Marcus Semien has n made significant progress as he continues to rehab from wrist surgery he underwent in April. As Semien was seen taking batting practice before Friday’s game, Melvin said a rehab assignment could come sooner than expected. “He’s excited about it. He’s progressed really nicely to get to this point,” Melvin said. “We all know he wants to get out there, so a few more of these sessions and maybe in a week or so we’ll get him on a rehab assignment.”
Carter’s solo home run n on Friday was his second in as many days.
Severino allowed n four earned runs over six innings pitched on Friay night. That is many runs as he had given up in his previous four starts combined.